Equivalent clinical outcomes of bleeding peptic ulcers in teaching and non-teaching hospitals: Evidence for standardization of medical care in Japan

The clinical outcomes of treatments for several medical conditions are better in teaching hospitals than in non-teaching hospitals. However, there is only limited information for comparisons of the clinical outcomes of bleeding peptic ulcers between teaching and non-teaching hospitals. A total of 4,863 patients treated by endoscopic hemostasis on admission for bleeding peptic ulcers were evaluated in 586 hospitals of the Diagnosis Procedure Combination (DPC) system. We collected their data from the database associated with the DPC system to compare the risk-adjusted length of stay (LOS) and in-hospital mortality within 30 days with respect to the hospital characteristics. The hospitals were categorized into two groups: teaching hospitals that were certified by the Japanese Society of Gastroenterology (3,332 patients in 360 hospitals) and non-teaching hospitals (1,531 patients in 226 hospitals). There was no significant difference with regard to the mean LOS and the crude in-hospital mortality within 30 days between groups (p = 0.181 and 0.174, respectively). Multiple linear regression analyses revealed that the hospital characteristics were not associated with the risk-adjusted LOS. The standardized coefficient for non-teaching hospitals was 0.019 (p = 0.172). Multiple logistic regression analyses further showed no significant difference in the in-hospital mortality within 30 days (non-teaching hospitals, odds ratio = 1.35, 95% confidence interval = 0.786 - 2.319, p = 0.277). In conclusion, both teaching and non-teaching hospitals have equivalent qualities in management of bleeding peptic ulcers. These findings suggest that the standardization of medical treatments for bleeding peptic ulcers has become disseminated in Japan.